


Rita the Revolution - LET THE WORLD SHAKE

by ScreamingPlant



Category: One Piece
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Attempt at Humor, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Friendships, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I said it, Mutual Pining, Ok more of a pissed off main character, POV Female Character, POV Original Character, Revolutionaries, Rita Is Very Intense, Rita Keeps Trying to Fight Dragon, Romance, Romantic Comedy, SI-OC, Sabo is her main squeeze, She'll die, Slow Burn, Tsundere main character, Violence, ace will lowkey seduce her later, but she doesnt know that, fine a bitchy main character, or maybe she's too stubborn to die?, poor rita she just wants a revolution not men smh, someone stop her, there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21777772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScreamingPlant/pseuds/ScreamingPlant
Summary: The Beast Of the Revolution  is a title only whispered among rookies of the Marines, a bad omen to all who utter its name. The Beast's name is Rita, a revolutionary with a resolve (read: stubbornness) that could make Vice-Admirals whimper. She is arrogant yet weak, cunning yet foolish, knowing - and yet so very, very, naive to the twisted world she lives in.Rita is determined to burn the World Government to the Ground, Yonkos and Celestial Dragons be damned. Rita will bring this world to its knees to rebuild it without any injustice or corruption.But before all that she needs to learn how to make friends, a task far more daunting than planning an international political coup.
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace/Original Character(s), Portgas D. Ace/Original Female Character(s), Portgas D. Ace/Reader, Sabo (One Piece)/Original Character(s), Sabo (One Piece)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 67
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts





	1. PROLOGUE

_RITA TO THE WORLD_

* * *

THEY CALL HER THE BEAST FOR A REASON 

* * *

Rita’s grin was nothing short of feral – it was wild; animalistic and deeply concerning from the perspective of Sabo.

The man before her trembles, as that is all one can do when face to face with the Beast of the Revolution. The look in his eyes is the look of someone who is soon to die, Sabo knows this well.

“The Revolution thanks you for your service!” Rita the Revolution shouts, slicing the man’s neck cleanly with _World Shaker._

His head hits the ground with a _thump._

.

.

.

Sabo often wonders if he made the right decision, bringing Rita to Dragon. She was unstable and dangerous (not to mention very, very grey with her morals - really, it's more a black than a grey at this point-) and he willingly bought her to his family. And for what? Because she had some pretty eyes? Because she had a cool demon sword? It's not like the girl was ever particularly _nice_ to him when they first met. 

Sabo sits in his bed late at night, wondering just what made him take a chance on Rita, all those years ago. Was it her frightening resolve to join? Her downright _reckless_ tunnel vision for fighting for the revolution? Or perhaps... was it something else?

Maybe it was the surprising _charisma_ the girl would woo you with, despite her long silences and quite frankly _bitchy_ remarks?

Or maybe, it was the way she looked at you.

The glint in her eyes she'd get when you completed a mission or took down an enemy. 

Perhaps, Sabo took her in because she was the first to look at him like he was something worth looking at.

.

.

. 

Sabo doesn't think he'll ever know the real reason, but he can't help but think that it really doesn't matter.

When Sabo watches the 'Beast of the Revolution' use every fibre of her being to fight for their cause, he knows with no doubt in his heart that he made the right decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO! HI! I have had this idea in my head for ages and I had to post it! This is a taster of the story I guess? The next chapter will begin with Rita's childhood and journey to becoming a revolutionary. I want to focus on that with minor flashbacks to Rita's childhood and glimpses to the future with perspectives from other characters!
> 
> One Piece is also a huge world with so much lore and little details, if you notice something incorrect with the cannon please tell me as it has been a while since I read it and I'm rusty! Please tell me if there's any mistakes my writing, I haven't wrote anything for a really long time so my grammar and spelling might be a bit off.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Ch.1 is almost done :)


	2. BIG BROTHER IS A KILLER

_SHANKS TO RITA – RITA TO BIG BROTHER_

* * *

LITTLE GIRLS WHO ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS DON'T LAST LONG AT SEA

* * *

“He’s too damn old to be having more kids,” mutters Red-Haired Shanks, annoyed, as he walks the rooms of his childhood house. “I mean, shit, _I’m_ too old for him to be having more kids.”

It is his childhood _house,_ not his _home,_ nor would it ever be. The man had found his home amongst his crew, and that is all he ever needs.

The _house_ is just as he remembers. Well, just as he remembered in the brief time he spent here before joining the Roger Pirates. The walls are chipped and the floor creaks as he and Yasopp pass. Pirates weren’t sticklers for hygiene and house cleaning but even Shanks could tell the house’s state was appalling.

It was no place to raise a child, Shanks knows this well.

Yasopp laughs next to him. “I always thought the day you brought home a brat it would be the result of your own stupidity and not your fathers.”

The sniper had a fair point. Shanks was almost 25 now and was by no means a blushing virgin. He wasn’t a womanizer, either, but a bastard child was a legitimate concern in a life of piracy.

Shanks sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. The red is looking particularly greasy today as the Captain had little time to clean himself up upon receiving this letter from his father.

What the heck kind of cryptic message was that, anyway? Shanks hadn’t heard from the man in over a decade (not that he was complaining) and didn’t even get so much as a ‘how are you kid? Did you survive that war you were in? I heard you’re a captain now, congrats!’ or anything even remotely similar. No, not even close. 

All he got was a booze scented letter with a barely legible message of, “Shanks, you have a sister. Come home, I need your help ASAP”.

Honestly, Shanks should have known better than to hope for more.

The pirate grumbles under his breath to Yasopp. “Yeah, me too buddy.” He lets out a deep sigh that makes the captain appear far older than he really is. “I mean, what the hell does he expect me to do with this kid? I don’t know the first thing about looking after brats, let alone being a brother.”

“Yeah, we know cap. I mean, the boys gave ya a cactus last year and you managed to kill it.”

At this reminder, Red-Haired Shanks scowls deepens. His sniper laughs at him again. “But hey, that’s why you got me around, hey? Newly certified parent and child guru! Usopp never cries when I hold him! And kids are all pretty much the same when it comes to raising em!”

Yasopp was one of the lucky ones. He managed to convince a woman to actually _settle down with him._ Typically, Yasopp has had the perfect pirate adventure and should be ready to retire, but much to Shanks’ surprise he refused to leave the crew.

_“You ain’t getting rid of me that easily, captain! Someone has got to look after your drunk ass! Besides, Banchina, Usopp, they’ll be alright without me.”_

Shanks snorts. “I wouldn’t be so worried if she was Usopp’s age. She’s not some newborn, she’s three damn it! Babies are easy, but toddler brats ask questions! What the hell am I meant to say when she asks shit like what I do? How do you tell some kid _‘your big brother is a killer!”_

Shanks is prepared to go on, because _damn it_ even the laid-back captain should be allowed to be _bitter_ every once in a while, but his breath leaves him as Yasopp calls out. “Oi, Cap!”

His breath literally leaves him. As in, the sniper manages to elbow him in the stomach so hard that he’s winded. The blonde continues, “You reckon that’s the kid?”

He points to a little girl seated at the end of the hallway. At first glance, she does look strikingly similar to him. Her bright red hair is painfully familiar.

She smiles upon seeing him and rushes to her feet with a gasp. “You must be Shanks-nii-san!”

Next to him, Yasopp wheezes – _“Nii-san!”_ And Shanks pointedly ignores him.

He clears his throat nervously. His hands are shaking. Damn it, why’s he so nervous? He should be a cool and confident big brother. His name was Red-Haired Shanks, not Red-Faced Shanks, damnit! “Ah, that’s right. I’m your big bro. I’m sorry it took so long to meet ya, I didn’t really know about ya till now…”

Shanks find himself staring into bright golden eyes. Unusual eyes – though very pretty, in their own way, strangely. “That’s okay, Nii-san! I’m really glad you’re here!”

Despite his nerves, Shanks manages to smile back at her. Maybe he wouldn’t have that much to worry about, after all. A sweet little kid Shanks could handle.

She beams at him. “So, you’re a killer, huh?”

Shanks’ stomach drops.

“How many people ya kill, nii-san?”

Shanks hates three-year-olds.

.

.

.

His new sister’s name is Rita.

Rita is three and a half years old, he learns, and she is a tiny little thing.

She barely reaches his kneecap. Her skin has the same complexion of his own, but it is smooth and without scars. Her red hair is considerably silkier than his and her heart-shaped face and doe-like honey eyes are the picture of innocence.

Were all kids this… delicate?

Surely not. Shanks certainly wasn’t, at her age.

And if kids were meant to be this petite how’d they live past five?

Oh.

Right.

Parents. Parents were the reason.

And parents were a commodity this little girl is severely lacking, what with a mother quite obviously out of the picture and a useless father.

.

.

.

Shanks’ new sister is _strange_ , and that is putting it in the nicest ways.

The golden eyes he thought were once very beautiful are now incredibly unsettling as they rest on him. They are naïve and yet far too _knowing,_ a strange paradox he cannot explain.

Yasopp, bless the sniper, easily picks up a conversation with Rita before she can notice anything off about Shanks. He leans down to her level and gives her a warm smile Shanks has never seen on the rowdy man _once._

They discuss trivial things as he waits for his no-good father to make an appearance.

.

.

.

“Rita is a very pretty name.” Yasopp says to her, cross-legged on the ground.

The feared captain of the Red-Haired Pirates and his sniper are seated in Rita’s playroom as she holds an imaginary tea party.

She beams at him and the Strange Girl gives him a strange answer. She tells him her mother gave her that name and that she is very fond of it because it was the first thing anyone ever gave her.

Her eyes lock onto Shanks’ before Yasopp can respond. “Do you like your name, Shanks-nii-san?” she asks as pours him an imaginary cup of tea.

Next to him, Yasopp whispers in his ear that it’s easier if she just indulges her so he pretends to take _delicate_ sips from his teacup. Shanks doesn’t mind a change in conversation - he would take _tea parties_ over a discussion of _mortality within piracy_ with his new ‘little sister’ any day.

“Huh? Uh, yeah, I guess it’s alright. My ma gave me mine, too. I guess our dad ain’t too creative with names.” He manages an awkward laugh and she giggles with him.

Yasopp sips tea from his own imaginary cup, pinky extended of course. “You have different mothers, cap?”

He shrugs. “I mean, we’d have to. I haven’t seen my ma in decades.”

“Then why the hell does she look like a miniature version of you.” Yasopp says, narrowing his eyes on the identical red hair and tan skin belonging to Rita.

“Hell if I know.” His captain huffs. “Maybe the old man’s got a fetish for red-haired women or something.”

Rita stares at him. “What’s a fetish, Shanks-nii-san?”

Yasopp chokes on his imaginary tea and Shanks considers hitting his head against the wall.

.

.

.

By the time Shank’s father bothers to arrive, it is far too late and many words have been added to Rita’s vocabulary that no three-year-old should ever know. It was hardly Shanks’ fault, though! What’d his father expect, leaving him alone with a kid he’d never met before?

Yasopp found the whole thing incredibly amusing and Shanks wonders why he bothered to invite him to come with him. Good parent, _his ass!_ When it came to far too inquisitive little girls, Yasopp was just as hopeless as him!

.

.

.

Shank’s father had not aged well.

The man has terrible crows’ feet and half a head of greasy grey hair. The bags under his eyes were not there the last time Shanks saw him but seem to now permanently reside on his face.

He now looks like the embodiment of a bitter old man and Shanks finds it fitting. The way his father’s lips curls in distaste when he sees him does not do him any favours.

His father's personality, similar to the house, is also just as he disdainfully remembers. Unsurprisingly he is still the pitiful and washed-up drunk he was when Shanks left _( ~~Sometimes, when Shanks is drinking, he thinks he is no better)~~. _He voice matches his eyes, tired and resigned. "Finally, you've made it."

"Hey, old man," (he wouldn't call him _pa,_ he couldn't) "What the fuck is going on?"

His father tells him a long story. It might've been a sad story if Shanks could spare any sympathy for the man. Rita is a bastard child, the unfortunate result of a one-night stand _( ~~Shanks thinks he might have been an accident, too~~ ). _Supposedly, Rita's mother was raising her by herself before she grew ill and passed. And when his father learns of this he decides to call in Shanks to clean up his mess _(nothing had changed)._

“You didn’t know she was sick?” Asks Shanks after his father had grown suspiciously quiet.

“I didn’t even know she was ever pregnant.”

“What a lousy dad,” mutters Yasopp next to him, but this was by no means surprising to Shanks. 

The captain scratches his head, looking around for any sign of Rita. "What are you gonna do with her now?"

His father grows quiet again and looks away from him. "I'm not what I used to be, you know. There's no way I could raise her."

Shanks agrees but he doesn't think age has anything to do with his shitty parenting. “Huh? What’s the plan then, old man? Gonna cart her off to boarding school like ya tried to do for me?”

That endeavour hadn’t lasted long. Shanks had escaped before the first term passed.

His father looks away again. “Not quite…” he murmurs. “I was thinking, actually, as her brother you might be able to-”

Shanks deadpans. He sees where this is going. “No, no way,” Shank cuts him off before he can finish. “You ain’t sticking your brat on-”

The sea captain is the one to be interrupted this time, as tiny hands wrap around his legs. Rita has left the playroom, apparently, (without him noticing?) and now clings desperately to him. “Shanks-nii-san, please look after me! There’s no one else now that… now that Kaa-san…” She stops, burying her face into the fabric of his pants. “I want to be with you, nii-san! I promise that I don’t mind the _killings_ or _fetishes!”_

Shanks goes to protest, to yank the Strange Girl off his leg, but then he thinks of his own childhood. He thinks of his father raising an unhappy daughter and he thinks of the nine-year-old leaving home, escaping from his boarding school and joining a dangerous pirate crew.

He thinks his sister is strange and a bit too knowing for her own good, but he also thinks he is sweet.

Shanks thinks that no child should be raised by this man.

The pirate lets out another deep sigh and goes to look down at the pouting girl attached to his leg. “Shit, kid,” (he’s given up on censoring himself, at this point) “You shouldn’t be travelling with a pirate, it’s dangerous.”

“I’ve always wanted to see the sea! I don't mind danger!” She protests, puffing out her cheeks.

Shanks shakes his head in exasperation and places his hat on her head. “Good thing you’ve got a strong big brother to protect you, then!”

Rita beams and Shanks knows that he is whipped.

Next to him, Yasopp snickers.

And that is how, in a visit to a nowhere island spanning less than forty minutes, The Red-Haired pirates manage to get it’s youngest ever resident and Rita becomes an unofficial pirate.

.

.

.

And everything is smooth sailing from there. Well, as smooth as one can get while sailing with an all-male and borderline alcoholic group of pirates with their Yonko half-sibling. For a while, Rita is happy. The Red-Haired pirates accept her as family.

Everything is good until it is not, and by the time she is eighteen Rita has been alone for so very, very long and the Red-Haired pirates are nothing but a distant, repressed memory.

Rita is no longer a carefree little girl, but instead a violent criminal who will break and liberate this world. 

She is eighteen and alone when she meets Sabo the Revolutionary, and that is when Rita's world finally begins to brighten again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowee this chapter is a bit of a mess! the tldr of this chapter is "shanks has daddy issues and a new sister". I'm not quite happy with this as it feels kinda lacking but I can't place my finger on it. If you guys have any tips please let me know! The next chapter will probably be her meeting with Sabo and should be much more action packed, this one was pretty boring ngl.
> 
> I'm also still trying to figure out how to format this so i'm playing it by ear right now


	3. NEVER TRUST A MAN YOU MEET IN THE SEWER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> poor sabo lmao, my man cant catch a break

_SABO TO RITA_

* * *

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE GIRL WITH STARS IN HER EYES AND HOPE IN HER HEART?

* * *

Rita is eighteen years old and she is on the run.

This is nothing new, she’s been running since she was fourteen, but she doesn’t think she’s ever had quite this many marines chasing her at once. It is kind of endearing, knowing how much the Marines care about her bounty.

Of course, the number isn’t all that special, barely 3,500,000 Beli, just above the average for the East Blue. Though Rita suspects it may go up after this.

Rita hadn’t done anything too horrific – she’d taken out a few decently ranked Marines, exposed a few small-time Transponder Snail breeding rings and killed a handful or so of bounty-hunters, surprisingly, only in self-defence.

But that was okay – everything was going according to the Plan™. Rita would keep working to slowly build up a name for herself – not so famous that she’s (god forbid) clumped with those dangerous ‘Rookie Pirates’ but just enough that she had a sizeable bounty, and a few stories to tell the Revolutionary Army when she went to join them.

From there, she’d challenge the infamous Monkey D. Dragon, bring him to his knees and take over the Revolutionary Army. Not that she had anything against the man, but he was working far too slowly for her liking.

The Army needed to be causing more havoc, taking on more Vice Admirals, setting more Marine Captains on fire – speaking of, the Captain chasing her wasn’t giving up any time soon, was he?

Currently, she was running through the streets of Logue Town, contemplating the Plan™ as she is chased by none other than the infamous Captain Smoker, or ‘Smoker the White Hunter’ along with a gaggle of his lackeys (notably also singed). This wasn’t the first time she’d come toe to toe with Smoker, but this is the first time she’d set him on fire (and likely, not the last if Rita had anything to say about it).

Really, his body was _smoke -_ it shouldn’t have pissed him off as much as it had. He should be used to this kind of stuff. And besides, it was hardly Rita’s fault he was still in the Marine Head Quarters when she burned it to the ground. He should have a life, be less married to the job. This wouldn’t have happened if he could take a break every now and then.

“You’re not getting away this time, Rita!”

What a fool.

Rita wouldn’t ever be caught by some Marine, it simply wasn’t in the Plan™.

_._

_._

_._

She loses sight of the Marines when she ducks under a manhole cover too fast for them to see. Her mouth twitches upwards slightly when she can hear the aggravated shouts of Smoker from above.

“Spread out, all of you! She couldn’t have gotten far! Tashigi, you're with me!”

Music to her ears.

_“Cap, should one of us put you out first-”_

_“I told you to spread out!”_

It’s unlikely any Marines or the Captain’s smoke would find her here. She’d done enough damage for today and could finally be left alone to her thoughts.

Or at least, that’s what she thinks before she turns around and finds a blonde-haired man staring at her.

“Yo.” He says to her, holding his fingers in a salute as some sort of casual greeting – as if they were close friends seeing each other after a long time and not a criminal on the run and strange sewer man stuck under a manhole cover.

All she can do is blink at him.

.

.

.

“You’re pretty cute for a criminal, huh?”

In the past two minutes, Rita has endured the strange chattering of the blonde without saying a word. However, when this phrase leaves his mouth her eyes narrow at him. Now, not only did this Sewer Man know she was a criminal, he knows she is on the run from Marines.

Rita stands from the crouched position she was in, and glares down at him. She was by no means _tall_ but she is intimidating when she wants to be.

“Would you like another scar, matching the one on your left, Sewer Man?”

Rita expects the man to either a) back off or b) foolishly try to fight her, but never would she have guessed that he would openly _snort_ at her, slapping his knee.

“Sewer Man! That’s a new one! I bet Koala would get a kick out of that!”

Rita chooses to say nothing, impassively staring at the man.

Eventually, his laughter dies down and he reaches for the tattered top hat next to him. He does a satirical dramatic bow before placing the hat on his head.

“I go by Sabo, actually.”

_“...”_

“You’re not very talkative, are you?”

“…”

“Why are you on the run, anyway?”

This question Rita does answer, if only in an attempt to intimidate him again. She holds her head up, baring the scar beneath her neck to him subtly (saying ‘these are my battle scars, I am stronger than you’) as she answers him. “I burned down a Marine HQ.”

To her disappointment but not to her surprise, Sewer Man doesn’t seem phased in the slightest. “That’s pretty intense.” Is all he says.

.

.

.

Sewer Man continues to try to get her talk, never once acknowledging why he, himself, was in the manhole – not that it really mattered to Rita all that much.

“Sooooooo, do you come here often-”

Sewer Man is cut off as the manhole cover is ripped open and the grinning faces of two… _unsavoury_ … individuals greet them.

Sewer Man scratches his head and turns to Rita. “They don’t look like Marines” he adds, unhelpfully.

No, it was quite obvious they weren’t. Marines didn’t have gold teeth and bounties attached to their hips.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” the bounty hunter on the left says.

“I believe that’s Rita – you know, the arsonist whose bounty just received an upgrade.” The one on the right turns his head and smiles unsettlingly.

They raised her bounty _already?_ Word travels fast around Logue Town – what a gossip Smoker must be.

To Rita’s surprise, they also recognise Sewer Man. “Doesn’t that blonde look familiar too?”

While the hunters focus on Sewer Man, Rita takes the opportunity to escape. It was a small tunnel with a large drop at the bottom. The only way out was back up again which would be an issue with the two burly hunters hovering over it.

Well, it would be an issue for anyone but Rita the Revolution who had stayed alive and uncaptured for eighteen years and would continue that record.

The Left Hunter leans down to further scrutinise Sewer Man and at that moment has his nose sliced cleanly off his face.

A bit gruesome and perhaps a bit dramatic but it made for a good distraction. The man screams and backs away from the hole. His nose falls next to Sewer Man who seems more surprised than horrified.

The Right Thug curses. “You’ll pay for that, bitch!”

Rita twirls the small blade in her hand and stabs him in the eye, quite literally, in the blink of an eye. He, too, reels back and holds his now bleeding face.

Wasting no time, Rita hops out the manhole and is once again, on the run.

.

.

.

It didn’t take long for Bounty Hunters B1 and B2 to call for backup, or for the Marines to pinpoint the location of the Red-Haired girl being chased by twenty or so hoodlums.

Not only was she chased by them, but apparently Sewer Man had decided it was a good idea to follow her, too.

The chase was no longer endearing – in fact, it just kind of pissed her off at this point.

This was definitely not in the Plan™.

.

.

.

Sabo was having a bit of a bad day.

First, he was sent on a mission all the way in the East Blue by Dragon – a mission, mind you, to find a temple that _“may or may not exist, we’re not sure.”_

Then, once he manages to follow a source to a small port town he finds out that some idiot has decided for some friendly neighbourhood arson and set every Marine within a 200m vicinity on high alert.

While Sabo doesn’t have a reputation like Dragon, by no means, he _is_ a high ranking Revolutionary with a relatively recognisable face to both Marines and Bounty Hunters.

Now, not only does he have to continue with this wild goose chase, but he also has to do it in secret – taking back alleys and hiding in the sewers to avoid detection.

Sabo isn’t all too fond of sewers. They’re filled with trash and smell atrocious and they’re oddly familiar, but he doesn’t know why – which also pisses him off.

To make matters worse the arsonist that had been such a pain in his ass had decided to share his hiding hole, ultimately leading to him being on the run by bounty hunters and Marines, exactly what he least wanted.

And sure the girl was pretty, with golden eyes that seemed to shine even within sewers, but she was also far too quiet and far too _rude_ when she did deign to speak to him, not to mention a bit psychopathic (I mean seriously, she stabbed the dude’s _eye)._

But this was alright. Sabo could handle this much.

What he couldn’t handle, however, was being cornered in a back alley with the Red-Haired Arsonist and seeing her make their enemies _faint_ just by shouting at them (because this mission hadn’t gone to shit enough already, why not add some _Conqueror’s Haki_ in the mix, just for fun).

He’d seen Dragon do that, just once, and therefore knew this was something he Did Not Need Right Now™.

And to make matter’s worse, she also fainted just after this freakish display of power, in an oddly ironic twist.

He’d never seen any other Haki users do that before.

Despite this girl definitely being Bad News™ he couldn’t just leave her passed out like this. I mean, technically she had saved him right? Not that he really needed her to.

Not to mention, that kind of Haki is meant to be pretty rare, right? Maybe Dragon could have a use for it?

It wouldn’t hurt to hang onto to her, just until he contacts Dragon, right?

.

.

.

When Rita awakens she is somewhere _unfamiliar_ and that alone is enough to set off alarm bells in her head – not to mention the splitting pain across all of her body.

She jolts awake, immediately spotting the unfortunately familiar face of Sewer Man from across the room.

He meets her gaze and smiles.

_“Good morning, Criminal-chan.”_

* * *

a/n: here's what I picture Rita would look like at this age :)

I did not draw this as I have no drawing talent, so I used this website: 

<https://picrew.me/image_maker/108324>

I also did Rita's Mother, at roughly 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here is the third! ngl the scenes in this chapter were meant to be much shorter so quite a few scenes were pushed back to next chapter. hopefully i am able to pump that one out fairly soon! hope you guys enjoyed, as always any feedback is appreciated!


	4. SEWER MAN BRINGS THE REVOLUTION

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one is basically just dialogue ngl

_SABO TO RITA_

* * *

I WILL BRING ONTO THIS WORLD DESTRUCTION AND DESPAIR, SO THAT IT MAY BE BORN ANEW

* * *

When Rita is six she knows she has become an orphan.

Of course, she has no way to confirm her deadbeat father is actually dead, but it is an instinctual feeling. She knows she is an orphan like she knows she has five fingers.

And despite her knowing, it really doesn’t bother her all that much.

.

.

.

Shanks learns of his father’s death through letter.

He’s not sure how his father’s associates managed to track him while at sea but he knows better than to ask questions.

His father died peacefully in his sleep.

It pisses Shanks off, just a little bit. The Old Bastard really didn’t deserve such a merciful death. Nonetheless, he skims over the letter and then throws it overboard.

When Rita asks he brushes her off and tells her not to worry about it, though he’s pretty sure she already knows – somehow.

Shanks had learned a lot about the girl these past few years and the six-year-old had a knack for finding out things she shouldn’t know about.

.

.

.

Rita is orphaned but she is by no means without family. The red-haired pirates had been surprisingly welcoming over the years. Shanks had also unexpectedly been committed to the role of “dotting older brother” – the feared Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks, was truly a softie on the inside.

Rita had become used to the way he’d pick her up in the mornings and spin her around, proudly proclaiming to have the cutest sister across all the seas.

It is at this point a crew member would eventually walk in, snickering and making fun of their captain before they themselves would pinch Rita’s cheeks affectionately.

All in all, by the time Rita’s third year on the ship had rolled around all of the Red-Haired Pirates had been thoroughly _whipped._

But Rita was pretty whipped for them too, so that was okay.

.

.

.

It is just another day on the Red Force when Shanks realises just how much his little sister had come to respect him.

It is early morning, so half the crew is still asleep and the other half is nursing hangovers. Shanks, of course, has a minor hangover of his own but that doesn’t stop him from stomping his way across the mess hall (making sure to be as loud as possible to piss off his crew) while shouting, “OH BOY! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING WE HAVE TODAY!”

In response, he receives several groans and a few “fuck off, captain!”s which bring a smile to his face.

In the kitchen Rita, the cheeky little shit, actually has breakfast prepared for him. Badly burnt toast awaits him with the butter spread to make a wonky smiley face. It looks incredibly unappetising, but it is from his little sister, and damnit he hasn’t been a big brother for long, but he knows there are certain things you do for your siblings and scoffing down inedible looking food is one of them.

“This looks … wonderful, **_Rita-chan_** _…_ Thank you.”

.

.

.

Shanks very carefully eats his toast, throwing away bits whenever Rita isn’t looking. Rita, on the other hand, scoffs down the toast with no issue.

Shanks picks up / discreetly disposes of the rest of his toast, wordlessly handing his sister a plastic cup of orange juice.

It is her favourite, he knows, so she grins at him.

_“Thanks, Tou-san!”_

Shanks swears he almost snaps his neck at the speed he turns to stare at her incredulously with.

It seems Rita has noticed her mistake as the four-year-old is no longer grinning. Her face has turned a ghastly white.

“N-N-Nii-san, I mean,” she corrects herself, shaking.

Shanks stares at the trembling girl for a few moments before a hesitant albeit genuine smile reaches his face. He places his straw hat on top of hers.

She looks up at him and blinks.

“Kid, I can be whatever you need me to be.” He tells her. “And I’d be a lucky man to have a daughter like you.”

Grinning, Shanks continues to eat. She smiles back at him and when her eyes begin to water a bit, Shanks pretends that he doesn’t notice.

.

.

.

When Rita awakens a myriad of memories go through her mind. She wonders why memories no longer of any use to her are making an appearance now. But she doesn’t dwell on it, instead more focused on the wanted blonde in front of her.

_“Good morning, criminal-chan.”_

All she can do is stare. A million thoughts are running through her head. All she remembers is being cornered in that alley and … then what? She wakes up in a weird and dank cave?

Why was Sewer Man here anyway?

Had he saved her? Rita squints at him suspiciously.

He scoffs. “Oi, what’s with that look? I’m getting chills over here.”

She looks away with a small huff. Sewer Man sighs. “What, no words of thanks for your saviour?”

Rita crosses her arms over her chest. “That should be my line. You wouldn’t have made it out of that Manhole cover if it weren’t for me.” She tells him. So, Sewer Man had saved her? She remembers _shouting_ and trying to use Haoshoku and then.. nothing. Damn, she must have fainted. It’d explain the bleeding on the back of her head.

Sewer Man scoffs at her. “That’s a bit arrogant.” (now there’s a phrase Rita certainly wasn’t unfamiliar with). “Personally, I think it was a two-man job.”

Rita meets his gaze without hesitation. A small stream of sunlight coming into the dark cave and hits her eyes. “It’s fine to be arrogant if you have the skills to back it up,” she tells him plainly, stating this as if it was simple fact.

The blonde _snorts_ again. What an unattractive noise. “Despite only just meeting, somehow, I knew you’d say that.”

A scoff. “Don’t pretend to know me, Sewer Man.”

“I’m still Sewer Man, huh? What, you don’t remember my name or something?”

She remains silent. He didn’t need to know that that wasn’t true at all, she actually quite liked the name _Sabo_ actually, but Sewer Man hadn’t earned the right to be called that yet.

She looks around the dank cave, not finding any immediate exit at a mere glance. With a sigh she gets and turns from him, beginning to walk in a random direction. “Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Rita remains silent and keeps walking.

“Oi! You’re fine running your mouth to mock me but now you’ve decided to get all tight-lipped? What do you think you’re doing?”

Not even bothering to turn back at him she flicks her hand in the air dismissively. “I have better things to do, Sewer Man. I’ve got enemies to kill and cities to burn.”

“That’s a bit intense don’t you think?”

“….”

“Well, as much as I hate to keep you from your nefarious plans, you’re not going anywhere.”

Rita stops in her tracks. She turns to him, narrowing her eyes dangerously. “Is that a threat?”

He gives her a bright grin that pisses her off a bit. “You’d know if it was,” he remarks cheekily. “What I mean,” he continues, pointing in the dark. “The entrance caved in while you were passed out.”

Squinting, Rita can vaguely see what might have been an opening once. She sighs, “And you didn’t think to do anything about it?”

He snorts again – what was he, a pig? The things she was saying wasn’t all that funny to Rita. “What do you expect?” He asks her. “You think I’m going to stop a landslide through pure will-power?”

“Yes,” replies Rita, not missing a beat. “I could have done it.”

Sewer Man annoyingly laughs again, remarking, “The day I see you do that I’ll eat this hat.”

Rita’s eyes look to the ratchet looking black top hat on his head. “You have a strange taste in food.” She tells him.

“What?” Sewer Man seems genuinely taken back by her words. “It’s an expression, it’s not like want to eat it.”

“Oh. I see…”

There's a pause. And then, “So, who are you?”

Looking back at Sewer Man, she feels oddly compelled to answer him as she stares in his dark brown eyes.

“I’m… I’m a revolutionary…”

Her answer seems to surprise him. “Really?” He asks and she quietly nods. His dons a smug grin. “That’s funny, so am I. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a revolutionary as pretty as you?" At the glare she gives him he chuckles. “Hmm… A revolutionary as feisty?" He tries again.

"… as scary?”

At this she smiles, if only a tiny bit. “I’m an unofficial one, I suppose. For now.”

Her answer must please him because he suddenly looks very proud of himself. “You planning on becoming one of our foot-soldiers then?”

“I’m planning on leading the Revolution.” Responds Rita, almost immediately after. 

Sabo laughs again, and the sound is strangely growing on her? It still kind of pisses her off, though. “Right.” He says, not sounding very believing. He stands up and dusts off his pants. “Well, criminal-chan, do you want to join?”

_What._

“I’m about to head back to HQ, if you want to come with me.”

Rita blinks at him. “Just like that?”

Sabo grins at her. “Just like that.”

All she does is stare at him for a few moments.

The blonde looks thoughtful. “Well, you will have to get the go-ahead from Dragon-san first, but I have a feeling he’ll like you anyway.”

“You let total strangers meet your leader?”

It couldn’t be that simple, right?

Sabo gives her a dangerous smile. “As far as I’m concerned, anyone strong enough to beat Dragon can lead the damn Revolution themselves.”

And that is exactly what she intended to do. “I see… This is happening sooner than I anticipated, but I doubt I’ll get another chance like this. Count me in.”

“Right. Well, here’s our first unofficial mission. Now we gotta find a way out this damn cave.”

And that is how Rita begins her journey as a Revolutionary, starting with a tentative alliance with The Revolutionary Army General, “Sewer Man” Sabo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOMEONE STOP ME! it's been like barely a day and a half since i posted this - i've lost control already, the story has gone off the rails ! but anywho, the updates *should* slow down considerably after this as the rest of the scenes i already have written and planned are for much later in the story. next chapter will be the debut of Rita's sword, World Shaker, so i hope yall are excited! (yes the damn sword gets its own chapter)


	5. WHAT'S IN A NAME?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bruh. i have no excuses. I said i wouldnt update for a while and release this smh. I have no control, i am merely a vessel now. im ngl this is ch is also very dialogue heavy and you get whiplash sometimes for the change in writing tone but i digress. i wrote a lot of scenes for this at different times so tell me if it's too jarringly different. okay fr this time the updates will slow a lot of this. any suggestions and feedback are really appreciated!

_SABO TO RITA - RITA TO WORLD SHAKER_

* * *

THE QUIET AND MYSTERIOUS TYPE IS OVERRATED, ANYWAY.

* * *

“You can call me Rita.”

An hour has passed since the two revolutionaries began their search for an exit.

Sabo is _tired_ and he is running out of things to say. It’s too quiet around Rita. He doesn’t like it. The quiet is deafening and it makes him think of things that never happened; things he has no memories of.

Sabo will talk until his throat is sore and bleeding, if it means he doesn’t have to confront those thoughts.

Fortunately, Rita is the one to begin speaking when the silence stretches for too long this time. Sabo lets out an eloquent, “Huh?” and the Red Head continues.

“Rita.” She repeats. She’s not looking at him, she hasn’t looked back once during their quiet and one-sided ‘conversations’. “You should call me that.” She continues, her brisk pace in front of him not slowing down in the slightest.

“Why the change of heart?” Asks Sabo. But that is not what he is thinking.

 _“Rita is a nice name.”_ is what Sabo _wants_ to say but chooses not to. Rita is a simple name but oddly fitting. It suits her, he decides.

“Comrades of the revolution shouldn’t have weird nicknames for each other.”

A simple answer. Really, he shouldn’t have expected anything else. Regardless, Sabo takes this moment to grin at the back of her head. “What? Criminal-chan isn’t allowed but Sewer Man is?” She got to keep her weird pet name for him? That wasn’t fair.

Sabo expects a snarky response and is surprised.

“I will call you Sabo from now on.” Another simple answer he really should have expected but is still surprised by. Hearing his name on her lips was something he could get used to, he thinks.

“Oh, so you did actually remember but choose not to use it?”

“A name is a gift but also a right you must earn. For your help, you have ascended from Sewer Man.”

Another grin finds it’s way on Sabo’s face. So, she respected him now? And this was her strange way of expressing it? With an intentionally arrogant lilt to his voice, Sabo replies, “I can expect to hear Sabo-sama then?”

“Sabo. Just Sabo. Don’t bother with meaningless formalities.”

How boring. Oh well, it was a shot in the dark anyway.

The sound _Sabo-sama_ leaving her lips wasn’t an unwelcomed thought, but perhaps it is only a pipedream now. Pouting, even though she can’t see him, he tells her, “That’s no fun, **_Rita-chan.”_**

Sabo expected her to comment on the teasing suffix, but he definitely didn’t expect her to stop so abruptly in her tracks or for her muscles to tense so quickly.

.

.

.

“That’s no fun, **_Rita-chan.”_**

The calling is not unfamiliar.

Rita stops as if struck by some unseen force. Her heart is trying to jump out of her throat.

The tone, the phrasings and even the _mannerisms_ were all too much like Shanks; like _Nii-san,_ that for just one bittersweet moment Rita feels like she is six again.

She is six again and she is with her family, her _precious people._

She is six again and she has a dream and people that love her.

“Rita-chan…?”

 ~~(Shank’s)~~ Sabo’s hesitant call snaps her to reality – to her reality.

Rita quickly realises she has been gone for far too long. She is not six, and her family is not with her.

She shakes her head, as if to clear her mind of the memories but it is far too late. The memories have spread to her heart and they will stay there, slowly burning through walls made of red blood cells.

“Just Rita.” She tells the scarred man ~~(He isn’t Nii-san, no one could _ever_ be Nii-san).~~ “That honorific is childish.”

Her throat burns.

Sabo laughs. Though she cannot see him she can imagine the wide smile on his face. “Ahhh, no can do **_Rita-chan._** You’re too cute for me not to call you that.”

“Revolutionaries aren’t meant to be cute.” She huffs, beginning to walk again.

“They’re not meant to be hot either. But then again, here I am.”

“Hm.”

.

.

.

Rita didn’t talk much after that.

.

.

.

Another hour passes. Sabo's feet _and_ back now hurt and he is certain he could open a geo-museum with the number of rocks in his shoes. Rita has clammed up, _again,_ for god knows what reason.

Were all girls this hot and cold?

Even Koala wasn’t this much of a handful.

“Soooooooooo…” Sabo begins, as he often does, when is trying to goad the brooding Rita to speak. “You have a last name I can call you by? Or, have I not earnt it yet?’

“It’s just Rita.” She replies, after a hesitant pause. “I have no need for any other names.” If her tone is a little bit colder, Sabo chooses not to comment on it.

Sabo hums thoughtfully. “Yeah, I don’t have one either anymore.”

“Who took it away?” Comes Rita’s response, without a pause.

Sabo blinks at the back of her head. He didn’t expect her to be the one prying. But this wasn’t about him. “Who took _yours?_ ” the blonde counters.

There’s another hesitant pause before she replies – her tone is clipped and detached. “I never had one.”

“Huh.”

“Your turn now.” She says.

“I don’t remember mine.” Answers Sabo, honestly.

A scoff. And then, “Cop out.” She says.

“It’s _true!_ ” protests Sabo.

“Whatever.” Her next line is quiet, like a mumbled whisper. “It’s not like I really wanted to know it, anyway.”

She doesn’t talk much after that either.

.

.

.

The cave walls blur and look the same to Sabo now. Surely, they had to be approaching an exit soon? There was a reason Sabo choose this cave, after all.

It was a supposed “direct path” to the temple Dragon had sent him to look for but there was nothing “direct” about it so far. The cave had a complex series of tunnels, a labyrinth almost completely in the dark and despite Rita leading with brazen confidence, Sabo knew without a doubt that she was really just walking in random directions.

“Have you ever wanted one?” He asks her. He’s been talking a lot in this trip; he’s honestly surprised Rita hasn’t tried to cut off his mouth or something yet. It seems like something she’d do.

“Wanted what?” she replies.

“A last name.”

She shrugs. “Not really.”

“Why not?”

Rita makes a dismissive gesture. “No need. Names are meaningless in the end.”

“You kept the name Rita.” He points out.

“That was a gift.”

“Aren’t all names?”

“It was a gift by a person I treasured.”

“Oh.” Sabo pauses. “I can’t imagine you caring for another human being, if I’m honest.”

A strange noise leaves the red head’s mouth, something almost like- “Oi, oi. That was a laugh, wasn’t it? You just laughed at my joke!”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Oh, it _so_ was!”

“I was choking. You misheard.”

 _“Hah!_ Whatever you say, Rita-chan!”

“Shut it, Sabo.”

She sounds embarrassed. Sabo wonders if he’d be able to see her blushing, were the cave a bit brighter. Another pipe-dream for sure, but it would certainly make for a pretty sight, he thinks.

.

.

.

“I could give you a last name.”

What was he saying?! That sounded weird, didn’t it?

_Why can’t I just learn to shut up?!_

There’s a small stretch of silence before Rita turns her head to suspiciously stare at Sabo. “This isn’t a proposal, is it?”

Quickly dismissing his embarrassment, he answers, “No, Rita-chan. Keep those fantasies to yourself.” He pointedly ignores the rude _scoff_ Rita makes in response. “I’m just saying, I could probably think of one.” He continues.

“Anything that comes out of your mouth is something I don’t want associated with me.”

Once again, _rude._

“What? Don’t be like that. Hear me out first.” When Rita doesn’t respond, he takes that as a signal to continue. “How about…” Sabo thinks very hard for a moment. “Sabo? Rita Sabo.” It was the best name he knew, after all.

Rita sighs. “You’re not very good at naming things, are you?”

Bold words from a woman who called him _Sewer Man_ , which is by far the most uninspired name he’s come across. Or, maybe second most if you count _Smokey_ for Captain Smoker.

“I thought it was kind of cute.” He defends.

.

.

.

“I thought it was kind of cute.”

Rita, with a complexion perhaps a tiny bit more red than usual, shakes her head. “You think everything is cute…” she quietly mutters.

For better or for worse Sabo doesn’t appear to hear this and instead remarks, “You think you can come up with something better?”

Rita pauses and considers this. She never saw a need for a last name before, and therefore never gave it much thought. Her father never gave her one, and Shanks didn’t have one…

“It can be… Revolution.”

Rita can hear the deadpan expression in Sabo’s voice. “You are _not_ naming yourself after the revolution. That’s lame. Try again.”

“It’s better than yours.” She quips. In fact, she actually quite liked the idea of naming herself after it. She’d already given her life to the Revolution, what was a name in the grand scheme of things?

Sabo’s tone is exasperated. “Next you’ll be naming yourself after Dragon-san.”

Now there’s a thought. _Monkey D. Dragon_ was certainly a powerful name.

Yes, a name that could strike fear like _Monkey D. Dragon_ , or _Gol D. Roger_ …

“Not a bad idea.” She hums. “I hear the Will of the D brings great powers to people like him.”

Sabo scoffs, a sound she is not unused to. “What? So, its Rita _D._ Revolution now, is it?”

Pleased, Rita nods to herself. “A strong name.” she says.

“The D sounds too much like ‘the’ though. Now your name sounds like a bad marine epithet. _**Rita The Revolution?** _Lame.”

Sabo was delusional. It made for an excellent title. A fitting one for the revolutionary who will change the world. “It is a good name.”

“I understand why you never talk now. Everything that leaves your mouth is _nonsense,_ Rita-chan.”

And isn’t that ironic, coming from a talkative fool like Sabo.

.

.

.

Eventually, the unlikely duo ends up at a pile of rocks that Sabo was sure he’d seen two tunnels ago.

Rita stops in front of him. “This is it.” She says, nodding to the pile as it was something more than _a useless pile of rocks._

“We’ve gone past this, like, four times. What’s special about these piles of rocks?”

“There’s light at the bottom. This is our way out.”

When Sabo squints he can indeed see a slither of light. Huh. That was a good catch for Rita.

“There is still the matter of the rocks. Ya know how we’re gonna move those?”

Rita turns to him and _grins._ Rita grins or smirks quite often he notices (often before doing something incredibly _concerning)_ but he’s yet to see her smile.

“That’s easy,” she says, walking to the pile. She stands before the rocks and into a fighting stance, hands into fists and legs wide apart. “We will do it through will power.” She says as her hand turns black.

Armament Haki. Sabo shouldn’t have expected a normal method from the red-haired.

Rita swings her fist back.

_._

_._

Rita’s display of power is both impressive and concerning. Sabo tries not to think about it. At least she didn’t faint, this time.

The rocks, on the other hand, did not come out of it as good. The pile is cleared and reveals an almost ethereal setting.

Pillars of Marble hold overgrown shrubbery, somehow still beautiful despite their thorny nature. Pools of water and fountains are littered around the large room they now find themselves in, somehow still impossibly blue and clean despite the area very clearly not having been touched in many years. Beautiful flowers in an array of colours are everywhere the eye can see in the abandoned temple. Marble statues of people that may have once been important form a semi-circle around the room, their hardened stares pinning down Sabo.

The statues hold swords and smithing equipment and gemstones are placed for their eyes.

“What the..” Sabo can hear Rita mutter. She’s looking around, clearly very confused as to where there are.

“We’re in a temple,” Sabo explains. “It once belonged as a house for the weapons of the _Kitetsu_ smithing school. It’s been abandoned very many years.”

“Huh.”

“This is our first mission, Rita. What I was sent here to do. We are here to find a scroll for Dragon that will help our fight.”

At this, Rita immediately perks up.

“Well, what are we waiting for then?”

.

.

.

Rita and Sabo begin searching the large room for anything of use, having little success. It doesn’t help that Rita feels the sapphire eyes of the impeccably carved statues staring her down as she searches.

Though the space is very beautiful and statues very impressive, the entire _feeling_ of the temple is the opposite. Rita is by no means a spiritual person, but even she can feel the downright _malicious_ aura surrounding the temple.

But this is a mission for the Revolution, and that is all she needs to know to motivate her for looking further.

“If there are so many precious items in here,” she calls out to Sabo, who is across the room as she continues to search, “Shouldn’t there be looters and bandits investigating every inch of this place?”

“Do you see any looters and bandits right now?”

“No.”

“Then we’re good. This place isn’t very well known, we should have it to ourselves.”

Rita nods, satisfied with his explanation, and continues her search.

.

.

.

Rita approaches a statue towards the centre of the room. The swordsmith’s eyes are not made of an intimidating blue sapphire, but instead a brilliant red ruby. Rita feels compelled to the man, though she does not know why.

The ominous feeling is still there, sinking like a weight in her stomach but Rita is now accustomed to it. The feeling envelops her like the caress of an old friend.

She examines the statute, admiring the fighting pose. The man is much taller than her and the hilt of his sword only reaches her eye line. In the middle of the hilt is another ruby, this one a much darker shade than the smith’s eyes.

Rita reaches out and brushes her calloused hands against the smooth marble. The marble _sings_ to her.

Suddenly, she feels very compelled to touch the sword’s gem, pressing down on it as she does so. To her surprise, the gem _clicks_ and a pedestal begins to rise from the ground above her.

Eyes widening, she calls out to Sabo, saying she’s found something.

.

.

.

Rita has found a _sword._

An _ominous_ sword, not to mention.

The redhead holds the sword in her hand, clearly enamoured by it. “Can I keep it?” She asks, looking at the blonde over her shoulder in poorly masked excitement. It’s kind of cute, Sabo thinks.

“Sure,” he says after a moment of thinking. “Dragon didn’t say anything about a sword. And you’ll be using it to serve the Revolution anyway, right?”

She nods eagerly. “Right!” It’s kind of jarring. She still isn’t quite _smiling_ or _showing happiness_ but she without a doubt the most excited Sabo has ever seen her.

“Have you got a name picked for it?” He asks, peering at it from over her shoulder. He certainly wasn’t going to give it one, considering how adamantly against she was his last naming suggestion.

Rita grins and it is equally endearing as it is unnerving. She unsheathes the sword carefully and holds it up. The temple's roof is cracked and filled with many holes, so the late afternoon suns beats down on the two revolutionaries and reflects off the blade. Within the metal, he can see the intensity of her golden eyes staring into it.

 **“World Shaker,”** she declares, and despite Sabo knowing she definitely just _pulled that out of her ass,_ her tone add weight to it. She nods, more to herself than him, and places it back in its sheathe, resting it on her hip.

It was better than what he was expecting, to be honest. He wouldn’t put it past her to name her sword ‘The Revolution’.

Rita pats the hilt twice and then moves to continue her search.

Now that she is moved Sabo can very clearly see the stand it once rested upon. “Ah, wait a minute, Rita-chan,” he calls, noticing a faded yet legible engraving on the pedestal “There’s actually a name for it written here-”

Rita interrupts him. “Its name will be World Shaker.” She repeats. The sword seems to hum beside her, pleased. “That is the first gift I will give to this blade.” She says this with such finality and conviction that Sabo finds himself unable to argue.

Sabo shrugs and moves to continue his own search. He supposes the name _World Shaker_ was better than “Demon Splitter”, anyway.

.

.

.

Rita most definitely jinxed them with all that bandit talk earlier. Why else would Sabo be staring down two criminals in what was supposed to be an _abandoned_ temple?

“Where did you two even come from?” Sabo asks, exasperated.

There’s only two, thankfully, so this shouldn’t take long. If he’s lucky he’ll end this all before Rita returns from the backroom she was searching and he can avoid too much blood on the marble tiles.

“You left a rather big opening for us,” the bandit on the left says – and did he seem familiar? Perhaps he’d fought so many bandits that their faces now all blurred together.

The bandit to the right snickers. “It’s awfully convenient you’re here too. Do you know how much those hospital bills cost us?”

Leftie chimes in – “hey, that redhead bitch with you? I wanna talk.”

It is then Sabo blatantly realises that these are the same bounty hunters from the sewer, only a day ago now. They were almost unrecognisable, with the left one’s nose reattached and the right one wearing scratched off-brand glasses.

“What a small world,” he mutters quietly.

He prepares a cool line to say next but is interrupted by Rita.

“Sabo. I got the scroll, let’s get out of-”

Her eyes fall on the bandits. Rita connects the dots much faster than he did. “Are we holding round two?”

“You bet we are, bitch!” shouts the left one.

Rita places a hand on her hip. “You two will make good first kills for _World Shaker.”_

The right bandit scoffs. “Who the hell do you think you are? You ain’t hot shit because you got _lucky_ with a _dirty move.”_

Rita smirks. “Who am I?” She unsheathes World Shaker, baring the sword to the world in all of its steel glory.

_“My name is Rita D. Revolution, and you will do well to remember it.”_

“Hah?!”

_“When the world is burning remember this name, so you know who to thank for it. I, the Revolution, will shake this world.”_

Her words hold weight. Sabo feels as if he is witnessing the start of something much larger than himself.

Rita’s words are bold yet powerful and the blonde can feel the Goosebumps from his all over his body. He’s filled with anticipation – anticipation for what, he doesn’t know.

All Sabo does know is that he wants to stay by Rita’s side, if only in giddy anticipation for what will come; for what she will bring to him and the world he knows.

“There’s only one thing people like you are good for.”

**_“Die for the Revolution!”_ **

.

.

.

The first bandit is taken down concerningly fast. It is ended with a swift dodge and sword to the back. Sabo feels as if should do something, as if he should _help_ but it is clear she does not need it, and for now all Sabo wants to do is _watch._

_._

_._

_._

The bandits are embarrassingly sloppy and are no match for _World Shaker._ The blade is singing in her hand, the two of them make for a dangerous pair. The first is taken down with ease so Rita focuses her sights on the second.

This one fights with more intensity, more _hatred,_ but it is not nearly enough. His resolve is weak. When he is unguarded Rita stabs through his upper body.

This is the end.

With a predatory grin, Rita plunges her sword deeper into the bandit’s chest. He lets out a strangled cry, his body lurching forward in pain as blood splatters from his mouth and onto Rita. She grips the hilt until her knuckles are white and _twists._

_._

_._

_._

Sabo sees the moment this man dies.

There’s no final fanfare, no dramatics and nothing to back up the bandit’s tough words from before. All that is left is a pitiful and pained gasp before his eyes turn glassy and his body goes limp.

Rita pulls _World Shaker_ from his lifeless body, his severed heart skewered on the blade, completely detached from his body. Rita holds the heart to the sun like a trophy before flicking it off her sword in a brutally quick action. The heart lands on the floor with a gross _squelch._

It is only a few feet away from Sabo’s feet. Impossibly, it is still beating.

“You’re a crazy bitch, Rita _D. Revolution_.”

It is all Sabo can think to say as he watches the woman wipe blood from her cheek.

“You know that, right?”

Rita grins and there’s blood on her teeth.

Sounding all too pleased, she responds softly.

**_“Yes.”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe ya got through all that. Nice job mate. Anywho, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to y'all that celebrate it and I hope y'all have a happy new year


	6. NOT ALL STRAW CAN BE TURNED TO GOLD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more brother / daddy issues and dragon makes a brief appearance!!
> 
> hope y'all enjoy

_SABO TO RITA_

* * *

THE FIRE INSIDE ME BURNED BRIGHTER THAN THE FIRE AROUND ME

* * *

With a flick of her wrist, _World Shaker_ is placed back in its sheathe, and Rita’s bloodstained visage turns to him. “Who dies by our hand next, Sabo?”

And _yeah,_ while that was pretty damn unsettling, he had to admit that she was efficient at the very least. Sabo adjusts the hat on his head. “Ah, well. Our next step involves a whole lot less _death_ and focuses more on getting the hell out of these tunnels.” He can see the gears turning in Rita’s head before she simply nods curtly at him and begins walking to the exit.

“Ah, by the way, Rita-chan..?”

Red hair whips behind her as Rita turns her head to him. Sabo squints at her. “You got a little blood-” he gestures to her face. “Yeah, just here and here _and –”_ he begins, gesturing to different spots on his own face. “And pretty much everywhere.”

Rita raises one eyebrow at him and wipes her left cheek with her arm. “How’s that?” she asks.

It barely makes a difference. The girl is well and truly _caked_ in it.

Despite this, Sabo manages a smile.

“Yeah, yeah. You got it.”

Like he said, _unsettling._

.

.

.

The two miraculously find an exit from the temple and cave system and find themselves back in the hustle and bustle of Logue Town. Unlike last time, there aren’t marines crawling the streets after the duo, so they make it to a dingy tavern on the outskirts of town without much more fanfare.

Sabo’s next move was to call Dragon and update him both on his original mission and of course, his extra _baggage_ that he’s acquired on the trip.

But that, he thinks, will be a fairly heavy and (considering it involves Rita) headache-inducing conversation so Sabo decides a place to sleep and a hot shower are much, much higher on his priorities.

The tavern they enter is a specifically _morally grey_ one for a Marine town. The door creaks when he enters and judging by the way multiple unsavoury characters turn to look at him intimidatingly when he enters, he assumes he’s chosen the correct place.

Unmistakably small-time pirates sit in booth corners and eye both him and Rita. They are _outsiders._ Unknowns. Threats. And the stench of death hanging heavy on the two of them doesn’t help, he imagines.

Sabo ignores the stares and makes a beeline for the barkeep. Before the blonde can even open his mouth, the man in front of the bar has already sized them up and is looking at the blood on Rita as he asks, “Is that-”

Sabo cuts him off. “It’s _paint.”_ He says the word firmly, implying there is no room for argument.

The barkeep scoffs. “Doesn’t smell like paint.” He says.

Sabo sighs and places a bag of coins on the counter. “What would you know, you sniff paint.” He mutters under his breath before pushing the coins towards the man. “Listen, we need information and a room.”

Though the man’s eyes narrow he entertains Sabo’s request. “What kind of information?”

Sabo is immensely glad he’s cooperating. It’s surprisingly hard to find dubious establishments like this in towns where the Marine presence is so heavy. Despite his dumb nickname, he had to admit Captain Smoker had a tight grip on this place. But still, not quite tight enough.

“I need to access a white transponder snail.”

The barkeep scoffs again. “The ones you can’t track, you mean.” Sabo nods at this. The man shakes his head and continues. “You ain’t gonna find anything like that here. This is a dodgy bar, not a marine base.”

Sabo sighs and rests his hand down on the bar. “Yeah, well, Loguetown seems fresh out of those.” He says, pointedly trying to not look in Rita’s direction when he says this. “Know of anyone else around here who could help me out?”

“Not a clue.” The barkeep answers, sounding all too pleased to not be able to help him.

Sabo is annoyed, but not surprised. It was definitely wishful thinking to think it’d be as easy as that.

The man must take note of the disappointment on his face. “Hey, don’t look at me like that.” He says. “You should be giving that to the pirate scum that burned down the base, not me.”

And at this, the previously quiet Rita (and wasn’t that a small blessing at the moment) finally speaks up, offended expression on her face as she retorts, _“I ain’t a pirate-”_

And before his companion can finish outing herself as an arsonist in front of a civilian, he swiftly elbows her in the stomach and interrupts her. “Thank you, anyway, sir.”

Despite Rita’s blunder, the bartender waves him off. “Yeah, yeah whatever –“ but then he stops himself and suddenly his gaze on Rita is much more intense. He’s eying Rita’s red hair with an unnatural amount of interest before speaking again. “Hey, don’t you kids look kind of familiar –”

Seeing where this is going Sabo quickly grabs Rita’s hand and steps away from him. “We get that a lot –” he says quickly. “And look, don’t worry about the room anymore, we gotta go –”

And as suspicious of an exit that may have been, Sabo correctly guesses that the man would not care enough to chase them out the door.

Safely outside the suspicious stares of the bargoers, Sabo lets go of Rita’s hand and sighs. A scarred hand runs through his dirty blonde locks in exasperation.

“We need disguises.” He tells Rita.

She scoffs at him. “What for?” She asks, crossing her arms over her chest. “We fight under the banner of the revolution now.” She tells him, the arrogant expression on her face hardly unfamiliar. “We shouldn’t be hiding! We should be causing even more uproar!”

Sabo stares at her blankly. “You want to cause a scene in a Marine Town? One in which _we are currently hiding out in?”_

If she notices the exasperation in his tone, she does not comment on it. “Yes.” She says simply. She adds, “In the name of the revolution.” As an afterthought.

Sabo shouldn’t have expected anything else.

.

.

.

Rita is sitting on the edge of a fishing dock staring at her own reflection when Sabo comes back. He left saying he’d be finding some disguises, but that was over ten minutes ago. He’d told her many times that all she was allowed to do was “stay here” so she's left with little more to do than wait for him.

Which, really, was pretty _redundant_ , because most people who knew Rita would say she’s actually pretty obedient when it came to following orders from people she respects. ~~_What a good little soldier she is._~~

“Here, this should hide that damn red hair of yours.” Sabo says as he reappears next to her, plopping what is presumably a hat down on her head before sitting down with her.

Rita regards him blankly. “Yes, because red hair is more suspicious than the man with burns and a full suit on a summer island.”

Though Sabo does glance down at his outfit thoughtfully, he does not say anything about it. “Your bounty is well more known here.” He says as he pulls two sandwiches wrapped in foil from his topcoat. He hands one to her and begins eating from his own.

Rita doesn’t have anything else to say to that, so she begins to eat with the blonde in silence. That is, until, her third or fourth bite when she glances back at the water and takes notice on just _what_ Sabo had put on her.

Looking into the water she sees a criminal with bright red hair and a **_straw hat –_**

She immediately takes the offending item off. She shoves it towards Sabo who glances up at her confusedly mid-sandwich bite.

“I don’t like this hat, take it back.”

Sabo _stares_ for a few moments, almost as if trying to tell if she was serious.

Then, “What? Who cares, it’s just a hat.”

“I won’t wear it.” Rita’s voice is firm, and she makes it clear to the blonde that this is something she will not compromise on.

Sabo knows better than to fight her on this. He sighs deeply. “Fine, whatever. We’ll switch then.” Placing his sandwich beside him he takes off the ridiculous top hat the man seems to always be wearing. _He looks better without it,_ Rita thinks, distantly.

“You can wear mine. Just be careful with it, it’s important to me.”

Rita nods, happy to wear any kind of hat except the one she was holding onto.

Sabo places the straw hat on his head and goes to continue with his meal. Rita is happy with this trade for a few moments before she looks back at Sabo and –

**_All she sees is a scarred man with a straw hat._ **

She quickly snatches the hat off his head. “I don’t like it on you either.” She tells him.

Sabo, visibly annoyed, snatches the hat back from her. “What made you such a fashionista all of a sudden? It doesn’t matter if it looks good, it’s a disguise.”

And Rita has nothing she can tell him. She has no excuse. It’s irrational and she knows it _but –_

She can’t help it. When Sabo goes to put it on his head again she snatches it from him once more and throws it out into the ocean like she would a frisbee.

Sabo gapes at her for a few moments. And then he closes his eyes and exhales. “You owe me a new hat.” Is all he says before he begins to eat his sandwich again.

Rita is immensely grateful that he doesn’t bring up her war against straw hats ever again after that.

.

.

.

In the end, Sabo does manage to track down a white transponder sail using a nearby contact from the Revolutionary Army, but it takes a lot more cash than he would like. More than Dragon is offering for this mission, but that’s okay. There’s no way Sabo would discuss what transpired with the possibility of the Marines catching wind of what was going on.

Sabo puts in the number he knows off by heart and hears the familiar _pururururu_ before the line clicks.

“Sabo.”

“Dragon-san,”

The blonde can’t help the sound of relief that seeps through his voice. It had been a _long_ past few days and right now all Sabo wants is to soak in a nice long bubble bath in the comfort and safety on their HQ.

“How’s the mission gone?” asks Dragon. And _oh boy._ Wasn’t that a loaded question?

.

.

.

“This woman, Rita? Tell me more about her.”

Sabo spent the past fifteen minutes giving a detailed explanation of the past few days and is unsurprised that Dragon is asking of his briefly mentioned companion.

Sabo sighs and stares at said woman. Currently, Rita stands in a nearby alleyway, swinging her newly acquired “World Shaker” around.

“She’s… She’s something else…” is all Sabo can think to say as he reflects on these past days. The eyebrow of the Den Den Mushi is wordlessly raised so Sabo continues. “She’s a good candidate... Definitely dedicated to our cause, _frighteningly so…”_ the last part is said as a mumble under Sabo’s breath, but Dragon undoubtedly picks up on it. “She’s pretty scary with a sword, and I saw her poke a guy’s eye out with a dagger. She lacks a lot of social cues but she seems _fairly_ obedient when on missions…”

The Den Den Mushi hums in interest. Sabo opens his mouth to continue but closes it, not knowing how to proceed. Dragon is quick to notice this hesitation _. “You’re holding back, Sabo. What is it?”_

“Well, it’s going to sound pretty unbelievable, Dragon-san.”

_“I can guarantee I’ve heard stranger. Get on with it.”_

“She’s a Haki user.” He says quietly. “She used armament haki to smash through a cave-in, and she used conquerors haki to disarm a group of enemies when she was cornered.”

The line goes quiet for a few moments. Then, _“Are you sure, Sabo?”_

“Almost certain, Dragon-san.”

Sabo doesn’t know what he expected but the quiet _laughter_ from the Den Den Mushi is certainly not it.

“Wonderful,” says Dragon. “I’m sure she’ll make an excellent addition to our ranks.”

At the approval of Dragon, Sabo lefts out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I’m glad to hear it.” He tells him. “That’s all I wanted to report. My next plan is to get out of this Marine hellhole and head back to HQ ASAP. We should arrive within the week.”

 _“Good job, Sabo.”_ Comes the reply before the line goes silent.

Well…. That went better than Sabo hoped, at least. And that was certainly the most pleased Sabo has heard Dragon sound in a long time so that was good?

Sabo tries to not overthink it.

“Oi! Rita!”

She stops her wild and seemingly random swinging for a moment to stare at him.

“We’re leaving Logue Town.”

She smirks at him. _“Finally.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is kind of filler but i wanted a chapter between the temple and meeting dragon
> 
> so, up next time! rita is an ass, sabo calls her out on it. and rita meets dragon :o
> 
> also the chapter quote today is from fallout new vegas
> 
> "I survived because the fire inside burned brighter than the fire around me. I fell down into that dark chasm, but the flame burned on and on." is the full quote by the npc Joshua Graham :)


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